Thursday, March 13, 2003

The Year For Me and The Year For You

In the words of my favorite actress, “I want to be left alone...” As much as I fanaticized about uttering that dramatic phrase, never did I think I would truly mean it. And yet, dear friends, those (in)famous words from one of the world’s most elegant, beautiful actresses, Greta Garbo, are what I most readily identify with at this moment in my life. In case you haven’t noticed, but I’m sure you have, I have been hibernating quite a bit this winter—and it’s a good winter to do that.

My apologies for the delay since my last publication. Continuing with the theme from my last newsletter--honesty--I’d like to express myself a bit more personally than I have before in this public forum.

Now, if you’ll indulge me...

I’ve told friends and family, "well, I thought 2002 was the year for "two," or "true" love. Boy was I wrong! So, after being swept away in a whirlwind romance and engagement, I have learned a lot about me and my “betrothed.” In short, the marriage was not meant to be, and thus, we are getting a divorce. These past seven months have been devastating for me. I feel as if I’ve been completely turned on my head and as if everything in my life has turned around 180 degrees from where it was a year ago.

I have a “glass-half-full” type of nature so it took me a long time to realize the cold, bleak fact that after the market crash in April 2001 and then further devastation after 9/11, my business, like many, suffered. I held on tight for a long time, believing in the value of the services I provided and the enthusiasm I received from so many. But after a frightening Fall in San Francisco, I returned to New York City with eyes wide open.

When my plane landed back in New York, in the beginning of October, I felt as if I’d landed in Manhattan for the first time. And since I’ve been back, though mourning the loss of what I thought was true love and all the things I’d given up for it, I have never felt more peaceful in my birthplace. New York—-for all its toughness, dirtiness, corruptness, danger and ugliness is a far safer place for me than San Francisco. I am home again, and I’ve realized this is the place for me. I love it here. I love it for all its hardness and for all its beauty, brilliance, drama, elegance, sophistication, glamour, non-stop energy and all that this glorious city has to give.

Terrorists be damned. They’ll never break our spirit. And while mine is broken (temporarily), it’s good to be home for my healing. Coming back to New York after leaving a broken marriage, I was able to realistically look at the state of my business and its potential in the near and far term.

I’ve decided that my personal life will take precedence (for once) over my professional life. Prompted by dramatic changes in my personal life, I have decided to take a break from all the things I’d done for the past six years.

It truly is like another world, another life, a different time, a different person that I’ve come from. But I am enjoying this time of introspection, reflection, rejuvenation and recuperation.

I know I can have a great life and a great career ahead of me. But right now I couldn’t care if I lived out this blessed, wretched life in a simple, boring, uneventful way. I am sure my perspective will change once these life-changing hurdles have been hopped over, but for now-—that’s it. Grim, perhaps. But this is the real me today. I’m tired of putting on the happy, excited, enthusiastic face 24/7 when I’m truly exhausted.

Do I sound bitter? Don’t let it distract you because underneath this gruff layer is the same old sweet Courtney you knew and loved. So I put on a few pounds, so what?! It’s cold out there! ;)

As I’ve told friends and family, “2003 is the "Year For Me." I hope it’s a Year For You too, because that means that you’ll be doing what you want, which is the best thing. Going forward, I haven’t decided which pursuit I’ll follow first: a book? TV? Events? Other unexplored adventures? One thing I definitely am planning on is sleeping a lot more. I’m sure you can relate. After six years of working 20-hour days and maintaining a lifestyle that was coffee-on-espresso-with-a-shot-of-jet-fuel, a life of mellow, lazy, sleepy days is just fine with me.

Peace and Love,
Courtney

TCS Intro ~ 3/13/03


Courtney Pulitzer's Cyber Scene® ~ March 13, 2003

>> Publisher’s Note ~ Endings and Beginnings redux

Apologies for the delay since my last publication, although the way things are, I’m not sure if anyone noticed... Continuing on with my theme from the last newsletter (which I didn’t fully reveal), but that which many of you picked up on already, of honesty, I’d like to continue in that vein.
Now, if you’ll indulge me...

I’ve told friends and family, "well, I thought 2002 was the year for "two," or "true" love." Boy was I wrong! So, after being swept away in a whirlwind romance and engagement, I have learned a lot about me and by “betrothed.” In short, the marriage was not meant to be, and thus, we are getting a divorce. These past seven months have been devastating for me. I feel as if I’ve been completely turned on my head and as if everything in my life has turned around 180 degrees from where it was a year ago.

It’s obvious, but took my “glass-half-full” nature to realize the cold, bleak fact, but after the market crash in April 2001 and then further devastation to our world, city, economy and industry after 9/11, my business, like many has suffered. I held on tight for a long time, believing in the value of the services I provided and the enthusiasm I received from so many readers and colleagues. But after a frightening Fall in San Francisco, I returned to New York City with eyes wide open.


When my plane landed back in New York, in the beginning of October, I felt as if I landed in Manhattan for the first time. And since I’ve been back, though mourning the loss of what I thought was true love and all the things I’d given up for it, I have never felt more peaceful in my birthplace. New York—for all its toughness, dirtiness, corruptness, danger and ugliness is a far safer place for me to be than where I was in San Francisco. I am home again, and I’ve realized this is the place for me. I love it here. I love it for all its hardness and for all its beauty, brilliance, drama, elegance, sophistication, late-night glamour, tantalizing-treats-at-all-hours, energy and all that this glorious city has to give.

Terrorists be damned. They’ll never break our spirit. And while mine is broken (temporarily), it’s good to be home for my healing.
Coming back to NY after leaving a broken marriage, I was able to realistically look at the state of affairs I left my poor business in, and its potential in the near and far term.

I’ve decided that my personal life will take precedence (for once) over my professional life. Prompted by dramatic changes in my personal life, I have decided to follow suit professionally too. Thus, I am taking a big break from all things I’d done for the past six years.

It truly is like another world, another life, a different time, a different person that I’ve come from. But I am enjoying this time of introspection, reflection, rejuvenation and recuperation.

I hate goodbyes, but this newsletter is at the very least, a long-farewell. I know I can have a great life and a great career ahead of me. But right now I couldn’t care if I lived out this wretched life in a simple, boring, uneventful way. I am sure my perspective will change once these life-changing hurdles have been hopped over, but for now—that’s it.

Grim, perhaps. But this is it. This is the real me. I’m tired of putting on the happy, excited, enthusiastic face 24/7 when I’m truly exhausted.

"2003: The Year For Me!"
So, going forward, what’s in store for 2003 for me? A book? Events? New adventures? There’s a world of opportunities.

One thing I definitely am planning on is sleeping a lot more. I’m sure you can relate. After six years of working 20-hour days and maintaining a lifestyle that was coffee on espresso with a shot of jet-fuel, a life of mellow, lazy, sleepy days is just fine with me.

As I’ve told friends and family, “2003 is the "Year For Me." I hope it’s a Year For You too, because that means that everyone’s getting to be themselves, which is the best way to be. I suppose this wouldn’t be such a mission of mine if I didn’t feel like I was really being myself for so long. But, however painful a divorce is, it has helped me see that I wasn’t being honest about my true likes and dislikes and that I’ve put on the "pleasant, happy, outgoing Courtney face" for too long and I need to spend some time being the miserable, mediocre, uninspired, unimpressed Courtney. So There!

Do I still have a few devoted readers? Well, if you’ve hung in there this far, then you’re in for a treat because guess what folks? That’s Not All! (R)
I will be hosting a "Cocktails With Courtney" soon enough, but they will be smaller and focused on just small groups of friends at a time. (Stay tuned)
What else can I say? 1) Don’t believe a man if he tells you he dreamt about you 5 years earlier because it probably means he’s unstable and psychotic. 2) Don’t believe a man that tells you the reason why he didn’t marry the woman he dated for 8 years and lived with for one year and was engaged to for one year is because "she wasn’t you." 3) Don’t let your parents talk you out of having a pet because they keep telling you "it’s a lot of responsibility." So, what, I can run an international business for 6 years but I can’t take care of a dog??!

Okay. Do I sound bitter? Sigh. Don’t let it distract you, because underneath this gruff layer is the same old sweet Courtney you knew and loved. So I put on a few pounds?! It’s cold out there! ;)

Alright. Enough of my sniveling. You can read more about it in my upcoming book "Pulitzer.com: The REAL story of the Cyber Scenes as seen by a Prize herself!"
Hee hee. Hooked yet? 

Next month: The inside scoop of the amazing and must-attend Rhizome.org benefit. Get your tickets TODAY at: www.rhizome.org.
Love,
Courtney



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Friday, January 31, 2003

TCS Intro ~ 1/31/03

As promised, I am writing my newsletter, but on a monthly schedule. And, continuing on with my theme (which I didn't fully reveal) in the last newsletter, but that which many of you picked up on already, of honesty, I'd like to continue in that vein.

Now, if you'll indulge me...

I've told friends and family, "well, I thought 2002 was the year for "two," or "true" love." Boy was I wrong! So, after a harrowing romance, engagement and short-lived marriage, I'd like to say, "2003: The Year For Me!"

And, as I've begun my newsletter this year (well, starting with my "end of the year issue") with honesty, I'd like to continue in that vein as well.

So, going forward, you'll be subjected (or entertained-whichever way you look at it) to my brutal truth. And, if you don't like it, that's fine. You don't have to read it. Although I have a feeling it might be more interesting that any of my previous columns. And yet, who's to say if a self-indulgent newsletter will have an audience? I don't know...look at blogger...

The month of January went like this for me:

New Year's Eve: Run 1-mile of the 4-mile course for the New York Road Runner's Midnight Run with my friend Rich. I was going to meet Adam too, but we didn't hook up. Of course, before the run I partied with my crazy cousin Lauri and her beau.

January: Slept a lot. Read a lot ("Marie Antoinette," lots of books on relationships, and now I'm reading "War and Peace." Cried a little, and then a lot. Then I decided I'd like to adopt a pet. I've played with this idea for a while, but with  the lifestyle I lead it was hard to justify having a pet because I was never home. Now I'm home a lot. And I'm obsessed with Greyhounds. I think they are the most beautiful, graceful, elegant and gentle creatures. And, you know what they say about dog-owners(that they end up looking like their pets). Well, I don't want to end up looking like a pug or a pitbull!

I plan on sleeping a lot more this month, and next if I can. I'm sure you can relate-after six years of working 20 hour days and maintaining a lifestyle that was coffee on espresso with a shot of jet-fuel. A life of mellow, lazy, sleepy days is just fine with me.

Back to the honesty theme. As I said, this is the "Year For Me." I hope it's a Year For You too, because that means that everyone's getting to be themselves, which is the best way to be. I suppose this wouldn't be such a mission of mine if I didn't feel like I was really being myself for so long. But, however painful a divorce is, it has helped me see that I wasn't being honest about my true likes and dislikes and that I've put on the "pleasant, happy, outgoing Courtney face" for too long and I need to spend some time being the miserable, mediocre, uninspired, unimpressed Courtney. So There!

Do I still have a few devoted readers? Well, if you've hung in there this far, then you're in for a treat because guess what folks? That's Not All! (R)

I will be hosting a "Cocktails With Courtney" soon enough, but they will be smaller and focused on just small groups of friends at a time. (Stay tuned)

What else can I say? 1) Don't believe a man if he tells you he dreamt about you 5 years earlier because it probably means he's unstable and psychotic. 2) Don't believe a man that tells you the reason why he didn't marry the woman he dated for 8 years and lived with for one year and was engaged to for one year is because "she wasn't you." 3) Don't let your parents talk you out of having a pet because they keep telling you "it's a lot of responsibility." So, what, I can run an international business for 6 years but I can't take care of a dog??!

Okay. Do I sound bitter? Sigh. Don't let it distract you, because underneath this gruff layer is the same old sweet Courtney you knew and loved. So I put on a few pounds?! It's cold out there! ;)

Alright. Enough of my sniveling. You can read more about it in my upcoming book "Pulitzer.com: The REAL story of the Cyber Scenes as seen by a Prize herself!"
Hee hee. Hooked yet?

Next month: The inside scoop of the amazing and must-attend Rhizome.org benefit. Get your tickets TODAY at: www.rhizome.org.

Love,
Courtney